How trenchless sewer repair works

1. Camera inspection

A self-leveling camera on a push rod goes in through a cleanout, a roof vent or a pulled toilet. The technician records the run, notes the distance to every defect, and uses a locator above ground to mark where each problem sits and how deep. This is what decides the method. More on camera inspection →

2. Cleaning

A hydro jetter strips roots, grease, scale and rust flakes off the pipe wall so the camera can see the pipe and, if the line is being lined, so the resin bonds to clean pipe. A cable machine cannot do this; it drills a hole through the blockage and leaves the rest on the wall. More on hydro jetting →

3a. Lining, when the pipe still holds its shape

A felt or fiberglass tube saturated with resin is pulled or inverted into the host pipe, pressed against the wall with air or water, and cured with hot water, steam or UV light. When it hardens you have a new, jointless pipe inside the old one. Branch connections are reopened from inside with a robotic cutter and the line is filmed again. Lateral liners are typically rated for a 50-year service life. More on CIPP lining →

3b. Bursting, when it does not

A collapsed run, a belly that holds water, or a line that was undersized from the start cannot be lined, because a liner follows the shape of the host pipe. Pipe bursting pulls a cone-shaped head through the old pipe from a small pit at each end, splitting it outward while new fused HDPE pipe follows in the same alignment. More on pipe bursting →

3c. Point repair, when one spot is the problem

One crushed joint, one root-intruded joint under a tree, one break where the lateral crosses another utility trench: a short liner on an inflatable packer fixes that spot and leaves the rest of a sound line alone. More on sectional repair →

4. Inspection and hand-off

A second camera pass records the finished line. Where the work touched the sidewalk, parkway or street, the city inspects before the pit closes. You should receive the before-and-after footage, the permit sign-off and the written warranty. Most residential jobs in Chicago are finished in a single day, with water off for a few hours during a liner cure.

Estimates are free. Call now: (877) 895-4088.